Sprinkling apparatus



SePt- 2, 1941- w. H. coLEs Erm. 2,254,270

SPRINKLING APPARATUS Filed April 22, 1958 mf M ATTORNEY Patented Sept.2, 1941 UNITED sTATEs PATENT Iormai-:

. srnmxrmo APPARATUS waiter n. cales. am J. Nelson, ima Bert Jennings,Troy, Ohio, assignors to The Skinner Irrigation Company, Troy, Ohio, acorporation of Ohio Application April 22, 1938, Serial No. 203,564

I 7 Claims. (Cl. 299-69) ated by the water flowing through thesprinkling member and incorporating a brake device operated by theimpact means for frictionally engaging the support on which thesprinkling member is mounted.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description,

the appended claims and the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is aside elevation, partly in section,

. showing a sprinkling device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the sprinkling device;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same with a portion of the spring andspring housing removed;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view showing the relationship between the vaneand the associated nozzle;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the spring and spring housing, with thecover of the housing removed;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken on the line 6-8 of Fig. 5; and

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the spring unit.

Referring more particularly to the drawing by reference numerals, Idesignates a sprinkling member, rotatably supported for movement about avertical axis on a supporting member II which forms a bearing for thelower end of the sprinkling member. 'I'he support I I, as shown, isprovided withscrew threads I2 adapted to be `engaged by the threads on awasher pipe I3'of any suitable character. 1

The body of the sprinkling member has a. central passage Il in freecommunication with the end of the water supply pipe I3, andcommunicating with water distributing nozzles I and I6, herein shown'astwo in number and positioned 180 apart. The nozzles are directed inradial so that the stream of water willv be thrown a large distance overthe ground.

The sprinkling member I0 is adapted to be moved step by step and at acomparatively slow rate of speed so that the streams of water issuingfrom the nozzles I5 and I8 will be moved slowly over different portionsof the ground, and as herein shown the means by which the sprinklingmember is mo'ved is one operated by the water owing through thesprinkling member and preferably operated by the stream of water afterit issues from one of the nozzles. This means, as herein shown.comprises a rigid arm I8 pivotally supported on the sprinkling member I0for movement about an axis that is preferably inclined at a substantialangle to the horizontal and to the vertical. The arm I8 is integral withor rigidly connected to a shell or housing I9 and with an extensionportion 20, and i's provided with a bearing sleeve 2l rotatablysupported on a fixed pivot pin 22 which extends upwardly from the top ofthe body member. The shell I9 forms an enclosing housing for a spring 23which acts to yieldingly hold the arm I8 in the position shown in fulllines in Fig. 3.

Pivotally supported on the outer end of the arm I8 is a vane 25 which,in the normal position of the arm I8 assumed when the device is not inuse, is positioned in front of the nozzle I6. It is thus in the path ofthe stream of water issuing from that nozzle. The vane is of triangularformation having diverging faces 21 and 28. A pin 29' extends through ahole in the vane and is removably secured by suitable screw threads orthe like in the arm I8, thus providing a pivot support for the vane,which is arranged so that either one of the diverging surfaces 21 or 28may be struck by the stream issuing from the nozzle. Ears 29 projecttoward the end of the arm I8 and form limiting stops determining theangular movement of the vane on the arm.

With the vane 25 arranged as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, the streamissuing from the nozzle I6 acts against the surface 2l and the force oflthe stream rapidly swings the arm I8 counterclockwise as viewed in Fig.3 against the action of the spring 23 and into the position shown indotted lines at A, the spring yieldingly absorbing the momentum of thearm and its associated moving parts and stopping the same graduallyafter they move about a quarter of a revolution. Just before the vane 25moves out of the stream of water, the outer end of the surface 21 isstruck vertical planes at a suitable upward inclination by the water andthe vane is tilted over so that the spring into the position shown indotted lines at B in Fig. 3. Just before the vane leaves the stream asit moves clockwise from the normal position in front of the stream, thevane will be again tilted by the force of the water on the outer end ofthevane. Thus each time the vane passes the stream it is struck by thestream and propelled along in the same direction it moves as it entersthe stream, and the vane is tilted n the arm automatically by the streamitself.

The position of the arm Il indicated in dotted lines at B in Fig. 3 isdetermined by suitablestop provided on the sprinkling member I0 andimpacted or struck by a portion of the oscillatable arm before thespring overcomes the inertia of the arm, so as to produce rotary step bystep movements of the sprinkling member about its vertical axis ofrotation. The impacting portion of the arm is preferably a projection3|) having an adjustable threaded stud 3l normally xed in position onthe projection 30 by means of a lock nut 32. The end of the stud 3i-ispreferably 1ocated closely adjacent the axis about which the sprinklingmember moves, and is adapted to strike the end 33 'of an impacted deviceherein shown as a lever 34 so as to transfer the rotational momentum ofthe lever arm and its associated moving parts to the sprinkling memberand thus move the sprinkling member through a small arc. 'Ihe lever 34is pivotally supported on a fulcrum stud 36 which is removably carriedin brackets 3l fixed to and projecting from the body portion of thesprinkling member. The brackets 3J are provided with a series of holes,38, herein shown as three in number, and the lever 34 is similarlyprovided with correspondingly spaced holes so that the fulcrum stud 36may be engaged in any of the holes to locate the fulcrum point atthedesired distance from the upper end of the lever. 'I'he lower end 39of the lever bears against the cylindrical surface 40 of the support Ilso as to provide a braking eiect restraining or controlling the angularmovements of the sprinkling member on the support. As the upper end ofthe lever 34 is struck by the end of the stud 3|, the rulcrum stud 36transfers the momentum of the moving arm I8 to the sprinkling member andat the same time the lower end of the lever 34 is pressed against thesurface 40. Thus the time required for given angular movement of thesprinkling member may be made substantially constant even though thewater pressure supplied to the sprinkler may vary through extremely widelimits, for the braking effect increases as the force of the impact blowincreases. With high water pressures the arm I8 is forced ratherviolently into the position B of Fig. 3 andV would tend to rotate thesprinkler through a rather wide angle, but the restraining eiect of thebrake is proportionately increased at the very time of impact so thatthe speed may remain substantially constant.

'I'he speed of operation may be controlled, however, by shifting the pin35 into a different hole and thus change the braking eiect to eitherincrease or decrease the same. Thespeed may also be controlled by movingthe screw 3l so as to increase or decrease the arc of movement betweenthe normal position of the arm I8 and the limiting position indicated atB.

The spring, which is concealed and protected within the .shell Il, ispreferably a spiral spring wire 4l wound on a sleeve 4l which isprovided with ilanged portions 42 and 43 around which the ends 44 and 4lof the spring are turned. In the normal position of the spring on thesleeve. as shown in Fig. 7, the ends of the spring press nrmly againstthe ends of the flanges 42 and 43. The sleeve 4I is provided with a pin41, fixed thereto and projecting into a hole 4I provided at the bottomof the shell Il as shown in FigJ, thus definitely positioning the sleeve4l against relative turning but permitting the spring and sleeve unit tobe readily withdrawn from the housing i3. The two ends 44 and 4I of thespring project outwardly and are relativelydlsplaced in a lateraldirection so as to aiford space between them for a pin 43 which is nxedto the cap or cover il of the shell il. The cap Il is held by nut Ilagainst the flanged portion Il of pin 22, thus holding the cap Il andthe pin 43 fixed with respect to the sprinkling member Il. In the normalposition of the arm i3 no spring pressure is exerted against the pin 4lby either end of the spring, but as soon as the arm turns in onedirection or the other from its normal position, it pushes either theupper or lower end of the spring, depending on the direction of movementof the arm, sogas to increase the spring tension and apply the springpressure directly to the pin and thus yieldingly urge the arm il back toits normal position. 'I'he spring has a number of turns so that the armcan be swung through a wide angle in either direction without subjectingit to positive or sudden restraining force, and thus permitting thegradual absorption of the inertia of the moving arm without impartingrotational movements to the sprinkler.

In accordance with the construction as herein set forth, the means whichproduces the periodic impacts on the sprinkling member and governs thespeed of rotation at dierent water pressures is of comparatively simpleconstruction and may operate effectively with water containing mud orVother substances without effect on the apparatus,

and since the spring is concealed and' protected it will be apparentthat the device may remain in service over long periods of time and mayoperate effectively to produce the desired rotational movements of thesprinkling member at a controlled rate.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferredembodiment of the invenf tion, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis v dened in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A sprinkling device comprising a support, a sprinkling member mountedfor rotational movement on said support and having a distributingnozzle, an arm pivoted on said member, a vane pivoted on said arm andadapted to be actuated by the stream of water issuing from said nozzle`to swing said arm in opposite directions from a normal position, springmeans yieldingly holding said arm in normal position with said vane iniiows through said member for moving said member step by step on saidsupport, and a lever pivsaid nozzle for swinging said arm alternatelyto\ wards opposite sides of said stream. a coil spring normally urgingsaid arm to position said vane in front of said nozzle, means carried bysaidy member and engaged `by said arm at a predetermined position ofsaid armat one side oi said stream ior imparting step by step movementto said member on said support and means ior adjusting saidpredetermined position to vary the turning movement produced by suchengagement.

4. A sprinkling device comprising a supporting member, a sprinklingmember mounted for rotational movement on said supporting member andhaving a distributing nozzle, impacting means operably carried by one ofsaid members and operated by `the water that flows through suchmember.an impacted part impacted by said impacting means for moving thesprinkling member step by step on said supporting member, and meansoperated by said impacted part for applying a frictional restrainingforce on the sprinkling member each time the impacted part is engaged bythe impacting means.

5. A sprinkling device comprising a supporting member, a sprinklingmember mounted for rotational movement on said supporting member andhaving a distributing nozzle, impact means carried by said sprinklingmember and operated by the water nowing therethrough for moving thesprinkling member step by step on said supporting member, and a frictionmember movably carried by said supporting member and adapted forpressure engagement with said support to frcltionally restrain therotational movement of said sprinkling member and having a portionoperated by said impact means for variation of the irictionai restraintin accordance with the force of the impact.

6. A sprinkling device comprising a supporting member. a sprinklingmember mounted for rotational movement on said supporting member andhaving a distributing nozzle, impacting means operably carried by one ofsaid members and operated by the water that ilows through such member,an impact part impacted by said impacting means for moving thesprinkling member step by step on said supporting member, means operatedby said impacted part for applying a frictional restraining force on thesprinkling member each time theimpacted part is engaged by the impactingmeans, and adjustment means operable to adjust the amount of frictionalrestraint applied by said impacted part for each impact.

7. A sprinkling device comprising a supporting member, a sprinklingmember mounted for rotational movement on said supporting member andhaving a distributing nozzle, impacting means operably carried by one ofsaid members and operated by the Water flowing through such member, animpacted part operably carried on one of said members and engaged bysaidrimpacting means to move lthe sprinkling member step by step on saidsupporting member, a brake device operably carried by one 4of saidmembers and engaging the other member to apply a brake force on thesprinkling member, and a connection between said brake device and saidimpacted part providing for application of braking forces which areproportional to the amount oi' the impact blow.

WALTER H. GOLES. BERT J. NELSON. BERT JENNINGS.

